Qatar, Canada Push Diplomacy to Prevent Wider War

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed preventing a wider crisis in the Middle East on Monday, according to the prime minister’s office.

In a statement, the two leaders “underscored the importance of intensifying diplomatic engagement to avoid a wider conflict with global consequences.” The statement further noted that the leaders condemned Iranian missile and drone assaults on Qatar, and Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized Canada’s solidarity with the Gulf state.

The current conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Iran retaliated with strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases. U.S. President Donald Trump has presented shifting objectives and deadlines for the war, which has resulted in the deaths of many Iranians, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s office stated that he and the Qatari Emir discussed efforts to de-escalate the war, urging an end to attacks on civilians and infrastructure that destabilize the region and threaten the global economy and energy supply, in accordance with international law.

Casualty reports continue to mount: The Iranian Red Crescent Society reports that a missile strike on a primary school in southern Iran martyred at least 1,230 people, including 175 schoolgirls and teachers. Additionally, the Iranian military claims more than 100 people were martyred when a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka last week. Israel has reported 11 civilian deaths, while the U.S. military has reported seven service members killed.